Facebook May Owe You Money. Here's How to Find Out and Join the Class Action LawsuitIf you've used Facebook in the last 16 years, you might be owed some compensation — and not just for your time.

BySam Silverman

Mehaniq | Shutterstock

Say "free Facebook Meta money" three times fast.

Why? If you've usedFacebookin the past 16 years, you could be entitled to some surprise cash from the social media platform's parent company thanks to a class action lawsuit over data privacy concerns.

Facebook已经因为涉嫌共享users' personal information with third parties (including Cambridge Analytics) without permission, according to a class action lawsuit that was first filed in 2018, perNPR. Although Meta denied the allegations, it agreed to settle the suit in December 2022 and pay $725 million,according to the lawsuit.

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But while the settlement is still waiting for final approval from a judge, per theLos Angeles Times, a tentatively approved agreement has allowed U.S. users to start filing claims now to get in line for their possible compensation.

According to the agreement, 25% of the compensation funds would go to legal fees and other expenses, which leaves $544 million for those who file a claim.

To be eligible for the compensation fund, you must have used Facebook between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022. A claim can be filed atfacebookuserprivacysettlement.comor by downloading the form and mailing it to Facebook Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, c/o Settlement Administrator in Philadelphia, PA. Users must input their Facebook username, an email address or phone number associated with the account, and their choice of payment option (a prepaid MasterCard, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or check).

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Online claims must be submitted by August 25, 2023. Payments won't begin dispersing until after the final approval hearing, which is scheduled for September 7.

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Sam Silverman

Entrepreneur Staff

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Entrepreneur Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found inThe US Sun,Nicki Swift,In Touch Weekly,Life & StyleandHealth. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, entrepreneurship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC.

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